Latch



March 12, 1957 L. P. HQPKINS LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 21, 1954 March 12, 1957 1.. P. HOPKINS LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 21, 1954 INVENTOR 00/1/51 PHOP/K/A/S ATTORNEY United States Patent ternational Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation. of Maryland Application lune 21, 1954, Serial No. 437,953 7 Claims. (Cl. 292-247).

This invention relates to alatch, adapted to secure two separable parts together, and particularly to a toggle action latch.

It is an object of this invention to provide a latch comprising relatively few parts and-which-is extremely efficient in "operation.

It is a feature of this invention to providea latch, which" when released from securing thetwo separable parts' together, has noprotruding parts extending from the body of the latch which might be susceptible to breakage because of the vulnerability of the protruding parts with respect to the. body of the latch.

It is a further feature of this invention to provide a latch which operates on the toggle action principle.

In accordance with an aspect of this invention, there is provided alatch having one part releasably attached to a top portion or cover of a container and a second part coupled to thelower part of the container. Onepart of'the' latch is in the form of a cup and the several elementsforming the body of the latch are contained within this'cup area. The invention is characterizedby spring means being provided to retain the latch elements within the cup area and the cup against the associated part of thecontainer, even when the latch'is released from its securing position. In thisiway, ofconventional latches, which permit the latch elements to become exposed when the latch is released, is overcome.

The above-mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood, by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanyingidrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of one embodiment of the latch mounted on a container; the latch being. shownin three its securing position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the latch with part of the cover plate shown broken. away; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the latch unit.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown the latch 1, securing: together two separable parts, e. g. of a container 2; the container may be identified as having a cover portion 3 and a lower portion 4. The latch is fastened to the separable parts by a first coupling means, such as a lug 5 which is fastened by any well known means to thecover 3. A second fastening means, such as a lug 6, is fastened to a backing plate 7, whichin. turn is firmly attached by any well known means to the lower portion of the container 2.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the latch 1 consists of two parts; the first part comprises an apertured plate 8 having fianges 9 adapted to hold the means joining the two parts of the latch together in a manner to be described hereinafter. The aperture is of larger diameter than the lug 5 and loosely fits thereover.

diiferent positions which it occupies during release from the disadvantage 2,784,994 Patented. Mar. 12,1957

The second part of the latch comprises; a latch unit having a-rectangularly shaped cup-section 10 and a handle-section llextending'fr'om the cup-section. This part of the latch; as willbe more fully explainedhereinafter, isnormally maintained" adjacent the associated container part. Thus, the handle-section 11 is; curved to provide a recess'which is easily accessible tothe fingers or suitable toolfor'releasing the latch by pulling'the handle section away from the associated container part. The cup section 10 is formed by a cover plate 12 having flanges which define three sides of the cup, 13, 14 and 15', respectively. The fourth side of the cupis defined by the two oppositely disposed flanges 13 and 15 being bent inwardly towards each other for a given distance and then' bent away from the cuparea as shown at'16, thus forming parallel arms. Spring means are provided between the two parts of the latch topermitone part to be'furtherremoved from the other part, under tension, while the latch is in the securing position. Preferably, the spring means are in the form of helical compression springs 17 mounted in the spaces defined by the inwardly bent fiangesand'the oppositely disposed flange 14. Guiding means, such as rods 18, are freely mounted in apertures 19 (only-one of which is shown) provided in the inwardly bent flanges. A collar 20 is provided at oradjacent one end of eachof the guide rods 18 and is of larger'diameter than the aperture 19. The guide rods 18 are preferably coaxial with the helical springs 17 and are vpositionedin the-apertures 19 so that the collars 20 lie in the cup area and'abut the inwardly bent flanges. The means; joining the two parts of the latch together is preferably a cable21 which joins the apertured plate S through the flanges, 9, to the latch unit. The cabIeZl passes throughthe holes in the flanges 9, axially through the helicalsprings 17, and are fixed to the guide rods 18 by any well known means. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the cableextends axially through the guide rodsand is attached at the remote ends thereof. The normal action of the helical springs forces the collars of the guide rodsto abut the inwardly. bent flanges (as shown) While the latch is in the, released position. Bushings 22 are provided in the apertures of flange 14, through which the cable 21 passes to reduce the Wear of the cable. When the latch is. in its securing position, thetsp rings 17 are compressed and the. guide rods 18 riding in the apertures 19. prevent the spring from being displaced from, its proper position.

Mountedin the space between the parallel arms 16, is a latch member comprising a pair of parallel flat elongated plates 23 and 24. Towards one end of each of the elongated plates, cars 27 and 23 respectivelyyare providedand pass through anaperture 29 in the cover plate 12, for a reason to be. described later. At the other ends thereof, the fiat plates 23. and 24 are joined together by a. bridge. plate 30; the bridge plate 30 being substantially in the plane of the. periphery of the flanges 13, 14 and 15. The latch member is pivotally connected to the. parallel arms 16 by apin 31; the pin 31 may be held. from, axial displacement by any well known means. The pivotal action of, the latch member is limited in one direction by the ends of the elongated flat plates 23 and 24 contacting the cover plate 12 and in the other direction by the bridge plate 30 contacting the cover plate 12.

Means are provided, preferably mounted in the space between the-parallel fiat elongated plates 23 and 24 and spaced. from the bridge plate 34), for coupling the latch unit either rigidly or rotatably to the associated container part. The means may comprise a latch plate. 32 designedwith a; hole: 33 adapted to fitover the lug 6. The latch plateualso; has formed thereon ears 34" and 35; the ears 34 and 35 being similar to the cars 27 and 28, respectively, and positioned adjacent thereto. The latch member is pivotally connected to the latch plate by a second pin 36.

At the ends of the fiat plates 23 and 24 remote from the pivot pin 31, there are provided inwardly extending lugs 37 which act as a stop to the latch member when the latch member is pivoted to its extreme position, by contacting the back of the latch plate 32.

The latch member and latch plates are normally retained within the cup area by spring means, such as hairpin spring 38. In this way, no parts of the latch unit are exposed to possible breakage by projecting from the body thereof, because the action of the hair-pin spring 38 is to urge the latch elements within the cup area while the latch is released. The spring 38 has its U portion 39 resting against the cover plate 12. The arms of the U are wound around the pin 31 in one direction, around the pin 36 in the opposite direction, and fixed as shown at 40 to the underside of the latch plate 32, whereby the torsion action of the spring urges the latch elements within the cup area and the latch unit against the associated container part. Obviously, two springs may be used instead of the one illustrated.

As discussed above, the latch plate 32 is attached either rigidly or rotatably to the lower portion 4 of the container 2. Thus, in the released position, the latch unit is attached to its associated part of the container while the apertured plate is disconnected from its associated part of the container. To secure the separable parts together, the latch member is pivoted away from the container to its extreme position as shown by view A in Fig. 1. The apertured plate is then placed over the lug 5 and the latch unit is then forced towards the container portion 4. The torsional force of the hair-pin spring 38 assists in pulling the cover plate towards the latch plate. While the latch unit is being forced against the container portion 4, the cable and guide rods compress helical springs 17. After a point of maximum resistance is reached (the resistance to the force urging the cover plate to the latch plate), the toggle action of the latch drives the latch to its securing position; The position of maximum resistance is shown approximately in Fig. 1 by the view B, and is seen to be the point where the two pivot pins and the cable are inthe same plane. As best seen in Fig. 3, the axis of the pin 36 lies outside the plane of the cover plate 12 to give the toggle efiect to the latch.

A cover plate 41 is preferably provided to protect the spring 38 and pin 36 from dirt and damage.

The material from which this latch is made will depend on the application of the latch. By way of example, the latch may be made of stainless steel to provide considerable force in securing the separable parts of the container together.

While I have described above the principles of my invention in connection with specifioapparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation of the scope of my invention as set forth in the objects thereof and in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A latch adapted to secure two separable parts to-- gether, comprising means for releasably mounting afirst section of said latch to one of said separable parts, a latch unit, means resiliently joining said first section to said latch unit, said latch unit comprising a cupsection being formed by a cover plate having flanges defining three sides of a cup, the fourth side of the cup being defined by a pair of members extending inwardly towards each other from the oppositely disposed flanges leaving a space therebetween and forming parallel arms extending away from the cup area, a latch member, first means pivotally connect- :ing said latch member at one end to said parallel arms in the space between said arms, the latch member extend- ;ing into said cup-area, second means pivot-ally connecting the other end of said latch member to the other of said separable parts, and spring means for urging the latch member into said cup area.

2. The latch, according to claim 1, wherein said spring means comprises means for urging said latch member within the confines of said cup area and said latch unit against its associated separable part.

3. The latch, according to claim 2, wherein said spring means comprises a hair-pin spring wound around said pivotal connecting means in opposite directions.

4. The latch, according to claim 1, wherein said joining means comprises a cable.

5. A toggle action latch adapted to secure two separable parts of a container together, each part of the container having a lug fastened thereon, said latch comprising an apertured plate adapted to fit over one of said lugs and releasably mounted thereon, a latch unit having a latch plate rotatably connected to the other of said lugs, a cable joining said aperturedplate to said latch unit, said latch unit comprising a rectangularly shaped cup-section and a handle section extending therefrom, said cup-section being formed by a cover-plate having flanges forming three sides of the cup, the fourth side of the cup being defined by the two oppositely disposed flanges being bent inwardly towards each other for a given distance leaving a space therebetween and then being bent away from the cup area forming parallel extending arms, helical compression springs mounted substantially parallel in the areas defined by the inwardly extending flanges and the oppositely disposed fianges, parallel extending guide rods freely mounted in apertures provided in the respective inwardly extending flanges, a collar on each of said guide rods at one end thereof and each of larger diameter than the apertures in said flanges, the rods being positioned in the aperture so that the collars lie in the cup area, said cable extending axially through said springs and fixed to said guide rods, whereby the springs abut against said collars urging the collars towards the inwardly extending flanges, and upon pulling against said cable compressing said springs, a latch member pivotally mounted at one end to said arms in the space therebetween and extending into said cup-area between said springs, said latch member comprising a pair of parallel flat-elongated plates normally making contact at their elongated edges with said cover plate, an ear extending from each of said plate edges towards the ends thereof and passing through an aperture in said cover plate, the flat plates being joined together at one end by a bridge plate, the bridge plate being substantially in the plane of the periphery of the flanges, a first pin passing through said arms and one end of said latch member pivotally connecting said latch member with respect to said cover plate, the pivotal action being limited in one direction by the elongated flat plates contacting the cover plate and in the other direction by the bridge plate contacting the cover plate, said latch plate being mounted in the space between said elongated plates and provided with ears toward the end away from the lug connecting end, said ears positioned adjacent said latch member ears,

a second pin passing through said ears pivotally connecting said latch member with respect to said latch plate, a

pair of inwardly extending lugs at the ends of said flat elongated plates acting as a stop by contacting said latch plate upon pivoting said latch member to its extreme position, a hair-pin spring mounted in said cup-area and having its U portion resting against said cover plate, the arms of the U being wound around said first pin in one direction and around the second pin in the opposite direction, the ends of the spring being fixed to the end of the latch plate remote from the lug-connecting end, whereby the torsion force of the spring urges the latch member and latch plate within said cup area.

6. A latch, according to claim 1, wherein said first and second pivotal connecting means at opposite ends of said latch member have parallel axes and said second pivotal connecting means is farther from the associated separable part than a line drawn between said first pivotal means and said first section when said latch unit is in securing position, whereby toggle action is obtained urging said unit toward said separable part when said second pivotal connecting means is moved farther from said part than a line connecting said first pivotal means and said first section.

7. A latch adapted to secure two separable parts together comprising a cup-shaped latch unit, a first section adapted to be releasably attached to one of said separable parts, means resiliently joining said first section to said latch unit, a latch member, first pivot means within said latch unit pivotally connecting said latch member to said latch unit, second pivot means attached to said other separable part pivotally connecting the other end of said latch member to said other separable part, said second pivot means beingwithin said latch unit when said latch unit is in its closest position with respect to said second separable part, and spring means for urging said latch member into said latch unit, said second pivot means being spaced at a greater distance from said second separable part than a line drawn between said first pivot means and said first section when said latch unit is in its closest position with respect to said second separable part, whereby a toggle action holds said latch unit in securing position under tension of said resilient joining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,391,578 Ponell Sept. 20, 1921 2,328,003 Gardes Aug. 31, 1943 2,560,827 Segesman July 17, 1951 2,602,685 Martinet July 8, 1952 2,605,123 Claud-Mantle July 29, 1952 2,635,910 Celeste Apr. 21, 1953 

